The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office has identified skeletal remains found at and near a Center Point, Alabama, property as those of 25-year-old Curtis Taylor Jr., who was reported missing in February 2024. Forensic dental and DNA testing linked a skull first recovered in August 2024 to later finds including a tibia, femur and mandible. Investigators initially noted a gunshot wound on the skull; the probe remains open and no arrests have been announced.
Family Dog’s Grim Finds Lead to Identification of Missing Man’s Remains in Alabama
Jefferson County Coroner's OfficeCurtis Taylor, Jr.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office has confirmed that multiple skeletal remains recovered over more than a year at and near a family property in Center Point, Alabama, belong to 25-year-old Curtis Taylor Jr., who was reported missing in February 2024.
How the Remains Were Found
The discoveries began when a family dog returned to the roadway near the home carrying what appeared to be a human skull on Aug. 20, 2024. Detectives later confirmed the object was human remains, and forensic analysis produced a complete DNA profile. Subsequent months brought additional finds: a tibia in December 2024, a femur and a mandible in April 2025, and a larger collection of skeletal material recovered from a wooded patch behind the property in early August 2025. Forensic dental comparison and DNA testing linked all recovered bones to a single individual.
WBRC 6 News/YouTubePaulina Mejia's dog, Chicarin, found human remains for the fourth time
Identification
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office told PEOPLE that dental records and DNA comparisons positively identified the remains as Curtis Taylor Jr., 25, of Center Point. Taylor — who was visually impaired and had glaucoma — was last seen by family members on Feb. 6, 2024, at a residence on the 1300 block of 5th Place NW. Relatives reported him missing roughly two weeks later.
Investigation Status
Investigators initially listed the case as a homicide after the first recovered skull showed evidence of a gunshot wound, but officials say the investigation is ongoing and the case has not been formally classified as a homicide at this time. A Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said there are no new public updates while detectives continue to work the case, and no arrests have been announced.
Jefferson County Coroner's OfficeCurtis Taylor, Jr.
Community Impact and Next Steps
Family members and neighbors described Taylor as well liked and remembered him from the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind. The coroner’s office and sheriff’s investigators continue to seek information from anyone who may have seen Taylor after Feb. 6, 2024, or who has knowledge of activity at the property where remains were recovered.
Coroner’s Office: "All the skeletal remains recovered in this case have been found to originate from the same source (person) and have been positively identified by dental and DNA comparison."
Local reporting also noted that one of the dogs that found bones was later struck and killed by a car after the final discoveries. Authorities encourage anyone with information to contact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
